Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-05-06

MORSE 70 NtNCliut uNt "a 'N'NN'
in her own language. The heroine
is an English girl named Matte
Morgans, who came to this country
about two years ago after serving
her apprenticeship as stoker on the
Great Northern railway, between
London and Edinburgh.
She concealed her sex so cleverly
that she readily secured a position
as fireman on the Naugatuck rail
road and was eventually promoted
to the post of engineer, first on the
freight and afterwards on apassen-
ger locomotive, a post which she
might have held to this day but
for her voluntary retirement about
six months ago. The cause of her
retirement is told below in her own
words, but how the discovery of
her sex was made is not definitely
known except to the railroad Off
cials, who decline to talk about the
matter.
Five years ago Matte Morgans,
then pretty girl of Nineteen, fell
in love with Tom Winnan, an en-
gineer of the "Flying Scotchman.'
Toms run was from Kings Cross
station, London, to York, and re-
turn alternate days. The "Flying
Scotchman's" service includes
train from Edinburgh and one from
London, leaving each city at 10
A. VI. and passing at York. The
total distance Is 400 miles; the
time nine hours. These trains car
~ the royal mail. The Govern
ment contract calls for a forfeiture
Of pound sterling for every min.
ute the train is behind schedule
time. which seldom happens.
LED BY LOVE OF ROMANCE.
Several evenings a week Matte
Morgans would wait at Kings
Cross and listen for Bow Bells and
st. Paul to ring out o'clock
With that hour would come thun-
dering into the station the "Flying
Scotchman,7 Tom Winnan and the
royal mail. Weeks and months
passed and in that interval Tom
Wiunan after his days work was
done would stroll out to Hyde Park,
st. James, Kew Gardens, or perhaps
eoat up and down the Thames with
his fair young friend. She would
listen 10 the thrilling recitals of his
adventures until she learned to
love her hero as DesdamOna loved
the Moor. She yearned to fly
through the air with him and share
the dangers, eYcitements and tri-
umphs of a life so foreign from her
own. 1t is not an uncommon thing
in England and Scotland to find
mans work performed by women,
and what more natural than in this
case TO find wOman's love of adven-
ture, curiosity and love OvercOm-
ing all objections. a short time
only was required to bring about
her plans. With Toms earnest as.
sistance she was duly installed as
stOker under his charge, her rough
fustian suit and face purpOsely be-
smeared with coal dust and oil COM
pletely Disgusting Toms sweetheart.
Day after day the "Flying Scotch
man" engine No. 362, with seven.
foot drivers, and just from the
shops at DundOOn, flew over the
rails at the rate of fifty.twO seconds
to the mile-hOnest Toms hand upon
the throttle and his sweetheart
fighting at the fre.bOx. Never
minded she the steam, the dust,
the roar, neither confusion nor ia
tigue, for Toms cherry words and
encouraging smile we're ever ready,
and his strong arms saving her the
heavy burdens from day to day. 1t
was her pride to keep the steam
gauge pointing at high-prossure
mark. She understood the duties
OF oiing and cleaning and was al
ways ready to shook out the CRATE"
or "set the guide cups
HER SEX BETRAYED WHEN TOM
WAS KILLED.
The engine had no cab, but in
stead the conventional English
dashboard, an almost useless thing
against a storm. 1t was not long
before her face became weather.beat-
en-, which, together with the coal
dust and CRIME, made the chance
of discovering her identity less and
less. Tom was very careful. He
watched to see that no meddling
engineer should observe that his
"stoker" was a woman. SO matters
went on for nearly year. Tom
and she were to have been married.
With the forethought of Traddles,
! in 'David Copperfield," bits OF
furniture and household utensils
we're bought, and the day looked
forward to for happy Housekeeping
but fate had decreed otherwise
Tom Winnan was killed. He was
run over IN the switch yard by